Attachment for fly and casting rods



July17, 1951 .S, P 2,561,289

ATTACHMENT FOR FLY AND CASTING Roms Filed Nov. 20. 1947 Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED I STATES PATENT. OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to attachments for fly and casting rods and in particular to a combined.

holder for a Whetstone and knife that can be easily installed on the rod. The Whetstone is for sharpening fish hooks and the knife for cutting lines and gut leaders. The combined tool when mounted just forward of the rod handle occupies a position most convenient to the sportsman for use of the stone or knife and avoids the need for carrying these two tools separately in the pockets. Also with the tools firmly attached to the rod there need be little fear of misplacing them or accidently dropping them into the stream. The tool holder also provides for easy removal of the knife for sharpening or replacement.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a fishing rod with the combined tool in place just forward of the handle; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tool with the knife guard open; Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking into Fig. 2 from the right end with the knife guard closed; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a bushing which serves to adapt the tool for use on rods considerably smaller in diameter.

Referring now to the drawings, the combined tool is seen to include a split sleeve I0 preferably made from spring steel and rust resistant. The underside of the sleeve I0 terminates in a pair of juxtaposed flanges I I, I2 extending for the entire length of the sleeve and which are apertured near each end to receive screws I3, I3a. by which the sleeve is clamped around the fishing rod I4 just forward of the handle portion I5.

For holding the Whetstone I6 in place, a pair of elongated and arcuate tongues I! are struck up from the upperside of the sleeve I0 and these are sloped towards each other to provide an undercu recess open at both ends for receiving the Whetstone. So that the latter will be seated firmly in place, the bottom face IBa of the stone is made concave so as to lie flat against that portion of the exterior surface of sleeve I0 remaining between the tongues I'I after the latter have been struck up. The side faces. I61), I60 of the stone are tapered to correspond with the slope of the tongues I1 and therefore lie flat against the latter.

The knife which serves as a cutter for gut leaders is comprised of a thin blade I8 set into a narrow vertical diametrical slot which extends approximately half Way through a short cylindrical pin I9. The slot can be made narrow enough to hold the blade tightly by friction ,or

the blade can be soldered fast to the pin sub,- sequent to its insertion in the slot. Pin I9 in turn is held by a friction fit in a cylindrical socket 20 formed by semi-cylindrically channeled extensions Ila, I2a of the flanges II and I2. As clearly seen from Fig. 4, the upper half of blade I8 ex-' tends between flanges II, I2 to prevent the blade from yielding in a lateral direction, and the lower, cutting edge I80. when not in use is pro-- tected by a cover 2| also of rust resistant metal that is hinged at one side to the sleeve III at clamping screw I3. At the other side, the walls of the cover are offset from the inner edge 2I a and bent outwardly to form arcuate clamping jaws 2Ib, 2 lo that fit snugly around the arcuate extensions IIa, I2a. forming socket 20.. Preferably, the jaws 2 lb, 2Ic of cover 2| as seen in Fig. 3 extend for slightly more than half way around the socket 20 and so form a spring catch that serves to grip the latter tightly when the cover is closed.

Most bait casting rods are made of steel while some trout fly rods are made of bamboo and others made from steel. The steel rod just above the handle is usually much thinner than is the bamboo rod. To permit use of a sleeve ID of the same size on the different sized rods, a rubber bushing 22 slit lengthwise at 220 may be supplied. Preferably, the interior surface 221) of the bushing is tapered slightly from one end to the other to match the usual rod taper while its exterior surface is of uniform diameter to fit snugly within the cylindrical sleeve I0. Bushing 22 would then be spread at slit 22a and slipped into place on the rod when the combined gut leader cutter and hook sharpener is installed on the smaller diameter steel rod, as shown in Fig. 1, and omitted for the larger bamboo rod. Should a single size of bushing prove inadequate for covering the entire range of rod sizes, the bushings could be made in two or more different sizes each with the same outside diameter but with differently sized internal diameters.

The tool can be installed simply and quickly with the aid of a screw driver. Assuming the screws I3, I3a to have already been removed which releases the flanges II and I2 as well as knife I8 and cover 2|, the split sleeve IIll is sprung just wide enough to slip over the rod (or over the bushing 22 if used). Th screws I3, I3a are then replaced, it being of course necessary to position the cover 2| in place before screw I3 is inserted for it will be remembered that the sleeve lfl arounditherad-land simultaneous-lwgr-ip;

the knifespizr I 9 in socket 20.

Should the knife blade l8 break or become dull,

it can be removed Without removing the tool from:

the rod merely by loosening screw l3 a and sliding the old blade to the left until-pin Ill-clears socket 20. The new blade and pin canrthenrbe inserted and screw 13a retightened.

In conclusion it should now be evidentthat the invention possesses considerable merit. The stone and knife are most useful tools for a rod fisherm ntohave an the ue tool holder accordingto, the inventionenables the, stoneand knife to bemounted upon the rodat a most convenient location. Furthermore; the: split-sleeve type holder featuring, struckeout tongues for se-; curing the stoneinplaceand the dual purpose screws which serve not only, to clamp the holderto therod but also as-a hingepin-for-the blade coveraswell as to clamp ;theblade in place of fers a most-simplmand lowl -cost construction-.-

While' in accordance; with the patent statutes- Ifhave hereinabove-described and shown-a pre-- ferred embodiment; of the invention, it is' tob'e;understoo d *that:various-minor changes in the construction and arrangement of parts of the combined tool 1 and holder may be made without departing fromthe spirit andiscope of the inven--- tion' as defined in the appended claims.

I; claim:

1; An attachment-fora fishing;- redeem-prising a, split; sleeve having confronting" rod" clamping;

flanges extending along one side thereof, removable bolt means extending through said flanges at each end thereof for drawing said flanges towards each other, a knife secured between said flanges, said knife being released upon loosening of said bolt means, and a cover member for said knife pivotally attached to said flanges at one end thereof by the bolt means at such end.

An: attachment forra flshingzrod? comprising a, split sleevez having confronting rodclamping flanges extending along one side thereof, said flanges including confronting and longitudinally extending channel portions adjacent one end thereof-"and-whic'htogether form a split socket, a knife having a blade portion and a support pin insertable in said socket, releasable bolt means extending through said flanges adjacent eaohlend thereof for drawing said flanges towards each other to thereby clamp said sleeve on the rod and said support pin in said socket, and a cover; memberfor-- said knife pivotally secured toi said flanges at the end opposite" said socket by. the bolt 'means adj acent such end;

3,. A'fishing rod attachment as defined in claim 2 whereinapart of the blade portion of5'saidknife"- lies" betweerr said flanges.

J 2 PARIS;

REFERENGES GIT-ED The; following. references, are, of" record in the" file of,v this .4 patent 1 UNITED STAiIESL- BAT-ENTS Number" Name Date 686,712 Carley- N'ov. 19*, 190.11 1,277,479 Ritchie Sept. 3,.19- 158985422 Ghamplin Eels: 21.; ,1933 2j17'0251'4 Bartosek Aug. 222-1939? 2,194 507 Locker Mar; 26.; 1940 2;3'52;92'1- Stoltz- Julyi 4; 19144 

